Resident fined for waste build up

A Harworth and Bircotes resident who turned the garden of their rented property into a waste dump has been fined and ordered to contribute to the clean-up costs.

The resident pleaded guilty to an offence under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 at Mansfield Magistrates Court on 10th July and was fined £120, ordered to pay a contribution towards the clean-up of the property and Bassetlaw District Council’s prosecution costs, in addition to a £30 Victim Surcharge – totalling £750.

The Council’s Environmental Health Team had received a complaint about the state of the home and visited the property on 7th January 2019 to investigate.

When they arrived they discovered a large amount of refuse at the front of the property, which included:

During this visit, the Officers explained that this level of waste created a significant risk of attracting vermin, which in turn posed a threat to public health. As such, they advised the resident that the waste needed to be removed as a matter of urgency.

Officers revisited the property on 10th January and as the waste had not been cleared, the resident was served with enforcement notices that required them to remove the waste before 24th January.

When Officers visited again at the end of January, it was discovered that the resident had not complied with the conditions set out in the enforcement notices and had further added to the waste.

The resident continued to ignore the enforcement notices, even when they had moved out of the property, and the Council was left with no option but to employ contractors to remove all of the waste and proceed with a prosecution.

Cllr Julie Leigh, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “Whether you own your home or rent it, residents have a duty of care to store and dispose of waste in a responsible way. Over time, the resident had allowed the waste to build up to unacceptable levels that put the public health of fellow residents in danger.

“In cases such as these, the Council will use all of the necessary powers available to them to ensure that waste levels do not pose a threat to public health.”